Tooth powder dispensing container



F. W. CLOOK TOOTH POWDER DISPENSING CONTAINER Dec. 27, 1938.

Filed June 19, 1936 540$ ATT El R HEY Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in containers for dispensing tooth powder.

In the tooth powder dispensing containers now commercially employed, it is customary practice for the user to dump a quantity of the powder in the palm of his hand, wet the tooth brush and then pick up the powder with the wetted brush. Some of the powder adheres to the wetter brush but a large proportion remains in the palm of the hand and is wasted. This method of using tooth powder is not only wasteful but is also a messy operation and-is probably the main objection to the use of tooth powders. Of course, with this type of container, it is possible to dump the powder directly on the brush but this usually results in a large waste of powder. A larger portion of the powder than that which adheres to the brush usually falls into the wash basin.

While various tooth powder cans have been designed to eliminate the messy operation of dumping the powder into the palm of the hand and to enable a wasteless application of the powder directly from the container on to the brush, I am aware of no container which successfully accomplishes this result. One of the attempts to design a container from which the powder may .be applied directly to the brush is represented by the United States Letters Patent No. 2,026,433, issued December 31, 1935, to William F. Punte. There are several objections to the container of this patent and to the dispensing means employed. The container is, provided near its top with sharp corners in which the tooth powder may lodge and which prevents the complete emptying of the container. In the top of the container, a plurality of apertures are provided which are covered in one position of the slide and un covered when the slide is moved slightly in one direction or the other. At the top of the container, guides are provided between which the tooth brush is inserted. After the slide has been moved to uncover the openings, the container is inverted and the powder drops on to the brush. The container of this patent is commercially impractical because the dispensing openings are not self-cleaning. A large portion of the powder lodges in the margins of the openings and on the top of the slide and, because usually a wetted tooth brush is used; hardens and becomes caked in the openings. Moreover, the design of the dispensing means precludes the possibility of the container being used as a family can. Each individual member of the family should have a separate can as it is impossible to use the can without bringing the brush directly in contact with the tooth brush guides and the dispensing openings.

An object of my invention is to provide a tooth powder dispensing container which may be used either as an individual tooth powder can or a family can. 7

Another object of my invention is to provide a tooth powder container in which sharp corners leading to the dispensing opening are avoided so that a straight flow of powder toward the opening is provided, whereby thecontainer may be completely emptied.

A further object of my invention is to provide a long and narrow dispensing opening in the container of about the length of the brush portion of a normal tooth brush, which may be completely opened so that the powder may be placed on the entire length of the brush.

A further object of my invention is to provide dispensing means in a tooth powder can in which guides are provided which confine the side edges of the brush enabling the powder to be placed on the center of the brush so that when the brush is removed from the dispensing opening but a small proportion will drop off the brush.

A further object of my invention is to provide a dispensing container for tooth powder in which the powder may be directly applied to the brush through a closable opening which is self-cleaning so that when the can is inverted to its normal position, the powder adhering to the side edges of the guides and to the dispensing opening .will drop back into the container.

My invention further contemplates the proviwherein the container need not be completely inverted in order to place the powder on the brush but need be only turned through an angle of approximately 90 with respect to its vertical position, whereby the amount of powder placed on the brush is under the direct control and obser;

'the powder to the brush.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more'apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a prespective view of my novel tooth powder dispensing container.

Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2-Z of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1. r

Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating one way in which the dispensing container may be sion of a tooth powder dispensing container form of the construction illustrated in Figures 1" Figure 8 is a View of another modified form of my invention.

Figure 9 is a view taken on the line 9--9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view showing another modified form of my novel dispensing container.

The tooth powder dispensing container of my invention comprises a can which maybe of any desired size and shape having a bottom II with preferably vertical side walls I 2 extending upward therefrom. The side walls l2 terminate in an opening I3 which may be provided with a bead I4 to limit the downward movement of the side walls N5 of a cover member l'l. The depending side walls It are just slightly larger'in diameter than the side walls of the container proper so that the cover may be retained on the container proper by friction.

gradually inward and upward in all directions so that sharp corners on the inside of the container in which tooth powder may lodge are avoided, whereby all of the tooth powder in the can may be freely dispensed therefrom. The top of the cover is provided with a dispensing opening l9 which is provided with a suitable closure slide 2 l. A pair of grooves 22 are formed in the top: of the cover and extend on the are of a circle across the top of the cover preferably from one side to the other thereof. The opening l9 extends approximately half way across the top of the cover and at the other side, as indicated at 23 in Figure 3, the portion below the guides is closed. 7

Above the opening and preferably formed integral with the cover of the container is a pair of brush guides 24. The lower portions 26 of the brush guides are comparatively close together so that, as indicated in Figure 4, when a tooth brush of normal width is placed between the guides and pushed inward, the sides of the tooth brush are pushed together so that the brush is confined and appears as shown in that figure. From the portions 26, the guides flare upwardand outward, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, and attain their maximum separation at their upper edges 21. At the upper edges 27, the distance between the guides is somewhat greater than the width of a normally wide tooth brush enablingthe tooth brush to be readily inserted between the guides and pushed inward into the confined position shown in Figure 4.

It will be particularly noted that the lower portions of the tooth brush guides 26 extend inward beyond the inner edges of the lower guides for the slide. This construction provides a selfcleaning opening so that the tooth powder which may lodge along the sides of the tooth brush guides will, when the container is inverted to its normal position, drop back into the container.

If some DQwder should adhere to the guides, it

may be readily dislodged so that it will-drop back into the container by slightly jarring the container. The slide, 2| is provided with a finger piece 29 by which it may be conveniently moved the container.

can ainuch neater appearance.

from the closed to the open position and returned to closed position.

In the operation of the dispensing container thus far described, the brush is, although a dry brush may be used, preferably slightly wetted, placed between the guides and pushed inward, thereby confining the brush as shown in Figure 4 and enabling the powder, upon inversion of the container, tobe placed along the brush in a ribbon at the center of the brush. When the brush is removed from between the guides, the bristles of the brush spread to their normal position and very little of the powder will fall off the brush because the powder will be largely near the center of the brush. Some of the powder may tend to adhere to the sides of the guides but this will usually drop back into the container when the container is inverted to its normal position, and if a slight amount adheres to the sides of the guides, it may be dislodged by slightly tapping It will be particularly noted that the slide may be moved any desired amount so as to accommodate any size of brush as, for example, a childs brush.

The container thus far described is suitable for use primarily as an individual tooth powder can although it is possible, by moving the slide only a slight amount and holding the brush at the side of and below the opening, to dump the powder directly on the brush.

To enable the container to be used conveniently either as an individual tooth powder can or a family can, in Figure 7 I have shown guides which, while they are substantially the same shape as described in connection with Figures 1 1 to 6, are provided with portions 3| which extend beyond the vertical side edges [6 of the top of the can sothat the can may be used as suggested in Figure '7. In using the can as a family can, the brush is preferably not brought in contact with the guides and the slide is opened only a slight amount. The powder is then dumped on the brush as the can is moved along the brush. The guides, in a measure, serve to guide the powder so that it will dropon the brush. While this method of using the can is not efiicient since a certain amount of powder will not adhere to the brush and will drop into the basin, it enables the can when thus constructed to be used either as an individual tooth powder can or a family can. If desired, the container of Figure 7 may be used with the brush pushed well up into the space between the guides as suggested in Figure 7, and the powder dumped on the brush as the guides are moved along the brush in contact with all directions so as to provide a smooth dispensing opening to enablethe can to be completely emptied of powder. The can is provided with a slide 36 operable in guides 31 by means of a finger piece 38 as above described. In this construction, the guides 39 also slope upward and outward as' above described. The upper edges '4! of the guides are curved downward and outward, as indicated at 42, and then, at 43, are bent .downwardand joined with the inside portions 34 of the top of the can. There is thus provided a construction in which the slide and finger piece are substantially entirely concealed, givingthe If desired, the guides of the construction shown in Figures 8 I and 9 may be extended beyond the vertical side walls of the top in a similar manner to that shown in Figure 7 to enable the container to be used both as an individual tooth powder can and a family can.

In Figure 10, I have shown a construction wherein while the top of the cover is sloped inward and upward, as indicated at 44, the guides for the slide are placed horizontally on the, top of the cover so that the slide 46 may be straight instead of curved on the arc of a circle, as in the first and second modifications.

It will be apparent that I have provided a novel tooth powder dispensing container which may be used either as an individual tooth powder can or a family can and which is adapted to accom modate both childrens and grownups" tooth brushes. It will also be apparent that I have provided a tooth powder container construction which is self-cleaning and in which the tooth powder is dispensed in a ribbon along the entire length of the brush. It will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made in the form and arrangement of parts of the container without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tooth powder dispensing can, a container body having an opening at the top thereof, a cover for said opening having a tooth powder dispensing opening, said dispensing opening being of a length substantially the length of the brush portion of a tooth brush and being substantially the width of the tooth brush, a slide for said opening manually movable to uncover the opening any desired amount, a pair of diverging guides for the brush at the mouth of said opening, the space between said guides be ing wider at the outer edges of the guides than the width of the normal tooth brush and being narrower near the mouth of the opening than the width of the normal tooth brush whereby the brush when inserted between the guides has its side edges confined by the guides, said guides and said dispensing opening being so constructed and arranged that the powder adhering to the guides will normally drop back into the container when it is inverted.

2. In a tooth powder dispensing can, a container body having an opening at the top thereof, a cover for said opening having a tooth powder dispensing opening, said dispensing opening being of a length substantially the length of the brush portion of a tooth brush and being substantially the width of the tooth brush, said cover having side walls sloping inward and upward toward the dispensing opening, a slide for said opening manually movable to uncover the opening any desired amount, a pair of diverging guides for the brush at the mouth of said opening, the space between said guides being wider at the outer edges of the guides than the width of the normal tooth brush and being narrower near the mouth of the opening than the width of the normal tooth brush whereby the brush pensing opening, said top having inner side walls sloping inward and upward toward the dispensing opening, a slide for said opening, outwardly diverging guides adjacent said opening for receiving a tooth brush therebetween, portions of said top extending from the upper edges of said guides to meet the inner walls of said top.

4. In a tooth powder dispensing can, a'container body having a top provided with a dispensing opening, a slide for covering said opening, guides extending inward from said opening, said guides extending beyond the edge of said can to serve as a guide for the powder when powder is dumped through said opening on to the brush.

5. A container for dispensing tooth powder, said container including a top provided with a dispensing opening, said container having inner side walls sloping inward and upward toward the dispensing opening, a closure for said opening, said top having a portion thereof extending above the opening on each side thereof with the opening countersunk therebelow, the entry-way to said opening being unrestricted above the opening whereby the tooth brush may be applied to the opening by moving the tooth brush in a direction substantially perpendicular to' the plane of the opening.

6. A container for dispensing tooth powder comprising a can body portion for holding the powder to be dispensed and a top for closing the can body, said top having an opening therein, portions of said top extending upward from adjacent said opening on either side thereof to form guides for a tooth brush, said portions then extending downwardly and outwardly and meeting the sides of the top so that the opening is countersunk between the guides and the top of the container presents a substantially smooth uninterrupted appearance when viewed from the side.

. .7. A container for dispensing tooth powder comprising a can body for holding the powder to be dispensed and a top for closing the can body, said top having a long narrow unrestricted opening therein, a closure for said opening, portions of said top'diverging upward from adjacent said opening on either side thereof to form guides for a tooth brush, said portions then extending downwardly and outwardly and meeting the sides of the top so that the opening is countersunk between the guides and the top of the container presents a smooth substantially uninterrupted appearance when viewed from the side, said container having inner side walls sloping inward and upward toward the dispensing opening to enable the powder to freely flow toward the opening.

8. A container for dispensing tooth powder comprising a canbody portion for holding the powder to be dispensed, the can body having substantially vertically extending side walls, said container having an opening in the top thereof closely adjacent the vertically extending side walls, a closure for said opening, guides adjacent said opening, said guides extending beyond the vertically extending side walls so that when the can body is grasped in the hand and tipped sidewardly and the tooth brush is placed adjacent the ends of said guides the powder will flow out of said opening and between said guides on to the brush.

FREDW. CLOOK. 

